Courier delays around Black Friday 2026 in Romania: what to expect
Updated 30 October 2026. eMAG's Black Friday is Friday 6 November 2026 (confirmed; 7 November in 2025); the international Black Friday is 27 November 2026. Between the two dates and up to the 1 December long weekend (28 November – 1 December) couriers handle about twice their normal volume. [wall-street.ro, 20 Oct 2026]
Short version: a 1–2 day delay on top of the usual transit time is normal in the week after 6 November and around 27 November. Don't call the courier while the last scan is less than two working days old. Enter the AWB on the home page to see every scan, for any courier.
What the couriers have announced
| Courier | Black Friday 2026 | Black Friday 2025 (how it went) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sameday | ~10 million parcels during the campaign (+16%), peak of 925,000+ parcels in one day, capacity 1.2 M/day, ~7 in 10 parcels to easybox lockers | capacity 1 M/day, peak expected Mon 10 Nov (~850,000), target 90% delivered in 24–48 h | sameday.ro, 29 Oct 2026; 29 Oct 2025 |
| FAN Courier | no 2026 figures yet | sorting > 2.2 M parcels/day, +20% volume expected; 2025 volumes grew 15% | fancourier.ro, 30 Oct 2025; 14 Jan 2026 |
| Cargus | no 2026 figures yet | +15% on the 7–10 Nov 2025 weekend, ~500,000 parcels/day; "over 90% arrive in 24–48 h"; second peak 28 Nov; heavy orders until 23 Dec | wall-street.ro, 17 Nov 2025 |
| DPD | merchant guide (29 Oct 2026), no figures | +40–80% vs a normal week; ~300,000 parcels/day normally, 500,000+ on the BF weekend; "can add 1–2 days" | dpd.com/ro, 30 Oct, 4 Nov, 6 Nov 2025 |
| GLS | nothing published | nothing published | gls-group.com/RO |
| Poșta Română | nothing published | nothing published | posta-romana.ro |
eMAG promised to deliver all Black Friday 2025 orders by 22 November 2025; for 2026 it says it wants everything delivered before the 1 December long weekend. [cursdeguvernare.ro, 8 Nov 2025; wall-street.ro, 20 Oct 2026]
Why parcels run late
DPD Romania: a normal day is ~300,000 parcels, a Black Friday weekend over half a million; each parcel passes 5–7 logistic steps and is scanned 6–8 times, so "any small delay at one step can mean a few extra hours". Traffic, weather, incomplete addresses and simultaneous volumes together "can add 1–2 days". [dpd.com/ro, 30 Oct 2025] ANCOM, the postal regulator, warned in November 2025 that "delivery times may be longer than usual" and advised comparing delivery options (home, pickup point, locker), not just prices. [capital.ro, 6 Nov 2025]
What is normal in November 2026
| Situation | Normal | When to act |
|---|---|---|
| AWB exists, status "registered" / "data received" | 1–3 working days after ordering: the shop is still packing | after 3 working days write to the shop, not the courier |
| "Picked up" / "in transit" | 1–2 working days normally, 2–4 in the week after 6 Nov | last scan older than 2 working days → contact the courier with the AWB |
| "Out for delivery" today | arrives today, sometimes in the evening | if it turns to "not delivered / wrong address / no answer", wait for the SMS about the retry |
| "Loaded into easybox / FANbox / Ship & Go" | you have the code by SMS/e-mail; collect within the stated time (FANbox: 48 hours) | don't wait: lockers are full in November and uncollected parcels go back |
| "Locker full" / "delivery point congested" | the courier retries or moves the parcel to a nearby locker | check the AWB the next day; Sameday lets you redirect to another easybox in the app |
Per courier
Sameday / easybox. 29 Oct 2026 release: ~10 million parcels expected (+16%), peak 925,000+ in a day, 1.2 M/day capacity, 7 in 10 parcels to easybox, 7,000+ lockers and ~485,000 compartments; the app can auto-extend easybox storage and redirect from AWB issue. Last year's target: 90% within 24–48 h, peak day Mon 10 Nov 2025. Statuses explained: Sameday tracking.
FAN Courier / FANbox. No 2026 release yet (checked 30 Oct). 2025: 2.2 M parcels/day sorting, +20% expected; full-year 2025 volumes +15%. 3,000+ FANbox lockers in 2026; parcels stay in a FANbox for 48 hours. "AWB registered" for days = still at the shop; "in transit" over two working days = call FAN. FAN Courier tracking.
Cargus / Ship & Go. No 2026 figures yet. 2025: +15% on 7–10 Nov, ~0.5 M parcels/day, "over 90% in 24–48 h", second peak around 28 Nov, heavy orders until 23 Dec, 2,000+ Ship & Go points. Cargus tracking.
DPD. 29 Oct 2026: merchant checklist (packaging, complete AWB data incl. recipient e-mail, DPD app, DPD Pickup). 2025: volumes +40–80%, "1–2 extra days" possible; advice to recipients: full address, valid e-mail and mobile, choose a locker/pickup point, one order instead of many. DPD tracking.
GLS. No Black Friday communication; works Monday–Friday; missed deliveries may go to a ParcelShop (status DELIVEREDPS) for a few working days. GLS tracking.
Poșta Română. No Black Friday figures; mostly non-EU parcels (Temu, AliExpress) and RR/CP/LP items; scans can pause for days between origin and Romania; new customs rules for non-EU parcels apply from 1 November 2026. Poșta Română tracking.
What you can do (couriers' and ANCOM's advice)
- Check address, mobile number and e-mail on the order. 2. Choose a locker or pickup point when offered. 3. Place one order, not several small ones at the same shop. 4. Never click "courier" SMS links asking for money or card data; check the AWB only in the courier's official app/site (or here, where we read the same public data). 5. Inspect the parcel on receipt; damaged → incident report or refuse; complaints go to the shop first, then ANPC.
FAQ
How late are Black Friday 2026 parcels? Couriers talk about 1–2 days over the usual time on peak days (DPD); Sameday and Cargus aim for most parcels in 24–48 h. An order placed on 6 November and shipped within 2–3 days usually arrives between 10 and 13 November.
When is Black Friday 2026 in Romania? eMAG: Friday 6 November 2026 (one day). International: 27 November 2026. Other shops run staged campaigns from late October.
My AWB shows nothing at all. A new AWB appears after the courier physically picks the parcel up, usually hours after the shop created it. After 2–3 working days, ask the shop whether it handed the parcel over.
Can I claim compensation for a delay? Usually not for a plain delay; for lost or damaged parcels you have rights under the postal services law. Complain to the shop/courier first, then ANPC or ANCOM.
Sources: Sameday (29 Oct 2026, 29 Oct 2025), FAN Courier (30 Oct 2025, 14 Jan 2026, 15 Jun 2026), DPD Romania (30 Oct, 4 Nov, 6 Nov 2025; 29 Oct 2026), Cargus via wall-street.ro (17 Nov 2025), ANCOM via capital.ro (6 Nov 2025), Black Friday 2026 calendar via wall-street.ro (20 Oct 2026). We re-check the couriers' news pages weekly from 15 November and daily 1–23 December 2026. xAWB.ro is independent and does not represent any courier.